Weather in Damascus:  Now, in December, cold. Some days brilliant blue skies, other days gray, sometimes rain. Snow possible.

Bring good shoes. Sidewalks can be slick. Syrians tend to make steps of polished marble. Such steps and entryways can be super-slick in the rain and snow. Also, negotiating the steps of microvans and transit buses can be dangerous.

Layer clothing for changes in weather. A cold morning can clear to sunshine and warmth -- or rain can come from the desert. Expect changes. Wear a good coat to Syria, pack extra sweat clothes and thermals for the the apartments, perhaps fur slippers for the cold tile floors.

Syrians wear black leather coats. If a foreigner wants a leather coat, ask one of the Arabesk tutors to go shopping. Some shops want $300US for a coat that can be bought for $50US by a fluent Arabic speaker who knows Damascus.

However, the used clothing stores offer cheap American and European clothing in the summer and fall. Even leather coats. Think ahead if studying through the winter -- buy in summer for winter. Cheap and disposable.

In spring, nights may remain cold. Days warmer -- but storms come from the Mediterranean. Times of sudden wind, followed by cold rain.

In summer, very hot days, sometimes cool nights.  Sometimes nights of sweat.  Mornings cool enough for running and exercise.

Fall very pleasant -- until winter.

Again, do not worry about clothes.  There are so many used clothing stores here, a foreigner can buy cheap clothes -- coats, shirts, pants -- to cover any contingency.  However, winter shoes, warm apartment slippers, boots for the desert trips, or running shoes for the streets could be a problem, depending on the size and quality desired.

Internet and international communications: Internet can be difficult in the cheaper 'cafes.' The 'cafes' usually only offer a row of machines and all the smoke you can choke. (There are a few internet ‘cafes’ offering ‘smoke-free’ hours.  They come and they go.  If / when a student gets here, I can give directions.)  Some expensive coffee shops offer wireless internet with the drinks and meals. Skype is possible -- but up your balance before coming here. Credit cards do not always function. Do not expect to make on-line purchases. Again, credit card problems (Dead Enders from the Bush regime remain in Washington, the banks, and corporations.) And do not expect to upload video or FTP with US web sites.

Cell phones: Anticipate buying a cell phone here.  A student cannot live without a cell phone.  IMPOSSIBLE.  Plan on the expense of a cell phone.  NOKIA phones operate in European languages and Arabic.  Spend perhaps $50 to $100.  US and European companies make many promises when they sell a phone to a traveler --- you shall learn.  Syrian cell phone companies sell SIM cards, a user can change companies at any time.  The user then buys units as required.  Arabesk introduced me to a local storekeeper who recharges units electronically –-- and I receive a 10% discount from the card price.

( Do not buy a cell phone before coming to Damascus. However, do shop cellphones and service plans in the US / Europe. Will the company plans work with SIM cards? Then, when buying a cell phone here in Damascus, consider taking the phone back. A cellphone priced at $75US in a shop in Al Midan goes for $250 in Los Angeles, California.)

VISAS and the IKAMA: A stay in Syria longer than two weeks requires a document called an Ikama / Iqama.  This is in addition to the three months or six months granted by the Consulate outside of Syria.  A foreigner must go to the Immigration Department.  The experience can be crazy-making.  Foreigners often take Syrian friends or agents to guide them through the process --- but the Syrians or other foreigners CANNOT walk with them through the offices unless the foreigners are one group helping each other.  Syrians can stay in the stairway outside the hallway, they can write out the Arabic answers for the foreigners.  The clerks and officers and the General don’t care as long as the process gets completed within the law. 

Women will be sped through.  Sometimes.  Men won’t.  The process can take hours --- or twenty minutes.  No one knows until they get there.  Don’t drink too much fluid, use a toilet before you go, and exercise extreme calm and patience. 

Be patient with the soldiers, they’ve got it worse than the foreigners.  Display EXTREME courtesy to the General --- he must deal with hundreds of crazed, incoherent foreigners in his workday.  Courtesy in the midst of chaos will gain respect and advantage.  The General and his translators see every foreigner perhaps three times, maybe four times.  IGNORE the other rude and pushing foreigners.  I’ve been through this process four times with Arabesk guides.  We’ve watched some wild scenes, then we laughed for days. 

TRAVEL TO SYRIA: I advise against booking the cheapest possible tickets to Syria.  Many on-line services offer cheap flights –-- the traveler may or may not get to Damascus.  Or may not get out. 

Always calculate the price of changing the departure date.  I have always changed my departure dates.  Once due to unexpected opportunity in the US, twice because I decided to extend beyond the three months of my tickets.  Also calculate the price of extending from three months to six months, or beyond six months. 

Damascus can be very good if a person gets into a good situation.  This is the intellectual center of the Arabic world and a major Islamic city. Americans and Europeans will encounter other travelers from everywhere in the world. And Syrians make foreigners very welcome –-- a foreigner might not want to return to the ‘West.’  

BOOKS IN EUROPEAN LANGUAGES: Non-Arabic books are expensive in Damascus. There are many sidewalk vendors of used books. Try to bring an emergency book to read in case of illness or injury –-- or isolation.  Close the windows and doors, read for a few days.  I re-read the Grapes of Wrath for Christmas in 2006.

HEALTH: Weight gain due to rich food presents a continuing threat. Be moderate. Street food is cheap and very good. Restaurants can be good or bad. Price is not a direct indicator of quality. Water from the tap is okay. Some people get diarrhea, most don't. In the winter, the buses and mini-vans get crowded and steamy with breath -- and sneezing and coughing. Get flu shots before coming to Syria.

The single greatest threat of serious illness will be the air flight.  This American travels from California. Every trip to Damascus involves breathing contaminated air for two days.  I considered a surgical mask in the aircraft ---  but I thought that could lead to misunderstandings and a change to orange pajamas and a night flight to Club Guantanamo.  The recent Swine Flu made masks more acceptable. 

In 2004, after a trip to Morocco, I had an airline lung infection that lingered for months.  American doctors could not deal with it.  A Pakistani doctor recognized an Asian lung infection and fixed me immediately. 

In 2008, I believe I contracted another airline infection en route to Damascus.  Snow and cold wind aggravated the infection until I sprayed blood out my nose and mouth.  My Chadi roommates saw the blood and brought the Arabesk doctor to treat me with antibiotics and steroids.  They also fed me until I regained the kilos of body weight I had lost.  The Chadis are good men. 
 
Customs and socializing:  In Syrian and Damascene society, a foreigner must learn when to say yes and when to say no.  The generosity of the people can be overwhelming.  An American will think the gifts of foods and sweets and invitations to be only attempts to make sales or exploit the American in some way.  Or to convert a Christian to Islam.  And this could be true.  Learn to accept tea and sweets, learn when to decline dinners and trips to the mountains and deserts and the neighborhoods and mosques.  The study of Arabic is always a good excuse.

However, any time spent with a Syrian means more than time talking with another foreigner.  Why come to Syria and watch American television?  Why come to Syria and run with other Americans or Europeans?

Men and women:  Foreign men may or may not ever speak to a Syrian woman.  Remember, Syrian women expect to live within the circle of their family all their lives.  Why romance a foreigner?  A woman could lose her family, her friends, and her nation. 

Foreign women in Damascus encounter serious challenges.  American and European films and television portray a society much different than Syrian society.  Syrian males can never hope to enjoy the freedoms and excesses they see in American / European entertainment.  Think of what the Syrians see.  Do American / European movies portray a real world?  How can Syrians know what is real and what is sexually exploitative fantasy?  Foreign women will get much attention  --- wanted or not.  Though violence is rare, women are encouraged to watch how Syrian women dress and behave and adjust their appearance and behavior to the culture.  Errors can lead to misunderstandings.

Sports and exercise in Damascus:  Even in summer heat, running in the morning is possible.  (In the winter, snow and iced sidewalks can be a greater threat than heatstroke.)  There are several sports complexes for track and basketball and tennis.  Many workout centers offer weights and machines. Have a Syrian get the real price for a weight room member-ship card before paying. 

The Cham Palace has an excellent workout area and pool and showers for a decent price. 

Do not exercise on the grass of traffic circles or the lawns around police headquarters. 

Also, a foreigner should always carry a copy of their passport.  And 50 Lira in case they want to take a taxi or mini-bus back to their apartment.  However, after 7am, traffic becomes dangerous.  And the sidewalks and alleys can be very slick after rain.  Expect Damascenes to stare.  And both men and women should observe Muslim modesty.

Running in Damascus can be travel through time. From 21st Century office complexes, to Muslim shop fronts, to narrow streets of mud-packed walls reinforced with branches -- strange shifts in time and worlds.

Working in Syria:  A foreigner violates their visa by working in Syria --- even as volunteers.  To hire a foreigner, a Syrian must apply for the new visa and pay fees. Unless an employer is willing to go through the paperwork to revise the visa of the foreigner, the foreigner must realize they are illegal and do not enjoy any rights under law.  Also, Syrian directors expect complete loyalty to the office –- and a final exam at the University does not qualify as a reason to miss a week of work.  And really, what can a foreigner offer that 100,000 unemployed Syrians cannot do better, faster, cheaper?  Don’t expect to work unless highly qualified, willing to subordinate Arabic study to the office demands (day and/or night), and willing to work for much less than Europe or the United States.

Violations of the law:  Always, ALWAYS carry a passport photocopy.  NEVER photograph a policeman or a police car.  NEVER photograph a soldier, military vehicle, or military facility.  NEVER photograph a government building.  If there are young men in a guard post, armed or not, uniformed or not, ask them before photographing a car, a flower, a vine, a doorway, anything.  Sometimes they will nod, yes, sometimes, no.  If you are photographing one of the old French estates in Damascus, you may be challenged.  Be polite, be prepared to blank out the digital photos.

All the other obvious restrictions of laws in Europe and the US apply in Syria. Never associate with anyone who uses illegal drugs. Never drink alcohol and walk in the streets. Men -- an unwanted approach to a Syrian woman can lead to jail. What is an 'unwanted approach' on a woman? That shall be determined.
 
Study in general:  Schools offer Modern Standard Arabic or colloquial.  And private teachers will teach students one-on-one on difficult Arabic or Islamic subjects.  Do not attend classes at the University unless enrolled or invited and approved.

Where to live?  I recommend dealing with Arabesk.  If a foreigner intends to go to the University, don’t live in Bab Tuma.  The buses and taxis will take away an hour of the day.  A student can actually walk to the University from Baramka or Al Midan or Shaalan.  Meza can be expensive.  Do not try to get into the University dormitories.